Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Some Geminids and the Moon Over Alien Landscape

The night before the epic 2017 Geminid Meteor Shower over the Pumpkin Patch in Ocotillo Wells, California.

The meteor activity on the night before the peak of the 2017 Geminids wasn't nearly as spectacular, but it was still pretty good. The moon was a relatively thin waxing crescent on this night, but it appears round in this long exposure.

This is a composite of the best frames from about 2:32 AM through 3:24 AM on December 13, 2017. All meteors seen here are their actual sizes and in the actual locations they appeared in the sky. Shot with a Canon 6D and Sigma 15mm EX DG at 25 sec f/2.8 ISO 4000.

This unique landscape is the result of wind and water continuously eroding the surface soil and revealing these globular sandstone concretions. Such concretions are believed to be formed by the natural cementing of sand particles to a small object such as a piece of shell, a grain of sand, or even an insect.